1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to disc players fitted for automatic change of discs, and more particularly, to a disc player equipped with a disc changing mechanism working with a disc pack, which contains a plurality of discs used for reproduction of information signals and is attached to the disc changing mechanism, for loading automatically a selected one of the discs contained in the disc pack on a disc rotating device to put the same in a playing state and for removing automatically a disc from the disc rotating device to put the same back in the disc pack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been proposed a disc player fitted for automatic change of discs, which is equipped with a disc changing mechanism working with a disc pack containing a plurality of discs used for reproduction of information signals and being attached thereto for loading automatically and selectively the discs contained in the disc pack on a disc rotating device which is provided therein for putting a disc in a playing state.
In such a disc player equipped with the disc changing mechanism to which the disc pack is attached, when a disc loading operation for putting a selected one of the discs stacked to be contained in the disc pack on the disc rotating device or a disc unloading operation for removing a disc from the disc rotating device to put the same back in the disc pack is carried out, a disc carrier in the disc changing mechanism, which comprises means for taking a disc out of the disc pack, means for removing a disc from the disc rotating device, a driving roller for carrying a disc from the disc pack to the disc rotating device or vice versa and so no, is moved up and down in its entirety in relation to the disc pack at the location facing to an opening provided on the disc pack for insertion or delivery of discs. This movement of the disc carrier is conducted to detect a desired disc receiving compartment in the disc pack in which a disc selected to be taken out is placed or to detect a predetermined disc receiving compartment in the disc pack in which a disc removed from the disc rotating device is to be put back.
In general, for the disc loading operation in the disc player equipped with a disc changing mechanism as mentioned above, it is required to take a selected disc out of the disc pack and then to carry the disc taken out toward the disc rotating device. In this connection, it would be thought out to make the disc pack have a sliding member for sending each disc out thereof and make the disc changing mechanism have a sliding lever for driving the sliding member in the disc pack, so that the sliding lever is moved to be placed at a position of the sliding member corresponding to the selected disc by the carrier moving up and down then the sliding lever is driven by a motor which is controlled by an electronic controller, and further to make the disc carrier have a driving roller for carrying promptly the disc taken out of the disc pack by the sliding lever to the disc rotating device, so as to be driven by an additional motor which is also controlled by the electronic controller.
Moreover, in the disc player equipped with the disc changing mechanism having the disc carrier operative to move up and down in relation to the disc pack as aforementioned, if the disc pack is ejected from the disc changing mechanism during the disc loading operation, disc unloading operation or information signal reproducing operation, there is caused a problem that a disc which is in process of being taken out of the disc pack or being inserted in the disc pack is wounded or a disc having been taken out of the disc pack can not be put back in the disc pack. Further, if a disc inserted in the disc pack is not placed in its proper position in the disc pack to project partially from the disc pack, the disc carrier moving up and down in relation to the disc pack is likely to run into the disc partially projecting from the disc pack to wound the same.
Accordingly, for avoiding these problems or troubles, it would be also thought out to make the disc changing mechanism have a locking member for locking the disc pack thereon to be driven by a motor which is controlled by an electronic controller, so that the disc pack is prevented from being ejected with the motor held in its inoperative state during the disc loading operation, disc unloading operation and information signal reproducing operation, and further to make the disc pack have a disc setting member for moving a disc inserted therein to its proper position in the disc pack and make the disc changing mechanism have a driving lever for actuating the setting member in the disc pack to be driven by an additional motor which is controlled by the electronic controller, so that the disc inserted in the disc pack is guided to its proper position in the disc pack through the disc setting member with the additional motor rotated in a proper manner.
However, in the case where each of the sliding lever and the driving roller provided in the disc changing mechanism is driven by the individual motor as described above, a couple of motors and a couple of control systems for controlling the motors, respectively, are required. Similarly, in the case where each of the locking member and the driving lever provided in the disc changing mechanism is driven by the individual motor as also described above, another couple of motors and another couple of control systems for controlling the motors, respectively, are required. These facts result in disadvantages that the disc changing mechanism comes to be complicated in configuration, the cost of the disc player is increased and the disc player is hindered from being miniaturized in size and lightened in weight.